Universal joint.



7 No. 763,127.. PATENTBD JUNE 21, 1904.

J. A. TILDEN. UNIVERSAL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 9 1904 H0 MODEL.

.Jnventor';

fame? witnesses %z/a 4dfi Z11 5 M No. 763,127. Patented June 21, 1904.

FFlCl-E.

UNITED STATES ATENT JAMES A. TILDEN, OF HYDEPARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HERSEY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SOUTH BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,127, dated June 21, 1904.

Application filed January 9, 1904. Serial No. 188,325. (No model.)

T whom it y OOYWWW these members are so shifted that their axes Be it known that I, J AMES A. TILDEN, aoitilie at an angle to one another the intermeshzen of the United States, residing at Hydeing teeth bear the same relation as those of park, in the county of Norfolk and State of bevel-gears when approaching the limit of ac- 5 Massachusetts, (whose post-oflice address is tion or a position of parallelism. To render as above,)haveinvented certain new and useful this action as far as possible smooth and free Improvements in Universal Joints, of which from friction, it is obviously desirable that the following is a specification. the tooth contact should be such that the ac 5 5 My invention relates to universal joints, and tion at the pitch-circles will be rolling rather I more particularly those adapted for the coupthan sliding, and this would be attained by ling together of shafts which are to have a making the contact-surfaces correspond as relative angular movement. nearly as possible with what is termed in It consists in the features herelnafter degearing an odonto1d,or a tooth curve hav- 6o scribed and claimed. mg 1ts normals at the p1tch-point arranged in a In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is continuous progressive mannerthat is, ina top plan view of one embodimentof my intersecting the pitch-line at regular consecuvention with the upper half of the box retive points. Sucha result would be attained, moved and the members in alinement. Fig. for example, by contact-faces having substan- 5 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section tially a cycloidal or involute form. The apthereof. Fig. 3isaside elevation of one memproximate relations of the teeth when the her. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same. axes are at an angle are illustrated in Figs. 5 Fig. 5 is an enlarged diagrammatic detail of to 7, in which Figs. 5 and 7 show the faces in the contact-faces of coacting teeth when the the plane of displacement and at opposite sides 7 axes are at an angle and taken in the plane of of the joint, while Fig. 6 shows the backs of 2 5 angular displacement; and Figs. 6 and 7 are the teeth, the normals t at the pitch-points in similar views of the adjacent sides of the teeth, this latter figure indicating the angularity of taken, respectively, at ninety degrees and one the axes. hundred and eighty degrees therefrom. To support the joint and prevent springing 7 5 Similar characters indicate like parts or lateral movement, a bearing 15may be pro- 3 throughout the several figures of the drawvided embracing the heads of the members.

ings. To allow this, the exterior of the heads at 15 ThelettcrsCCdesignate two coupling memare made in the form of a sphere having its bers, hcre shown as of similar form, to which center at the center of symmetry of the co- 80 shafts or other elements to be joined may be acting teeth, and this spherical surface is, by

connected. Each member may consist of a my construction and for the range of movebody portion 10, having at one extremity a ment for which this joint is particularly dehead 11, from the end of which extend consigned, kept almost continuous, it being only tact projections or teeth 12, preferably two broken by narrow clearance-spaces 16 be- 85 in number. These projections are separated tween the sides of the teeth and between 4 by spaces 13 to receive the projections of the their ends and the bottom of the spaces.

companion member. It will be seen that It may also be noted here that the surfaces when the coupling members are in axial alineof the teeth and the spaces naturally converge ment, rotation being considered as in the ditoward this common center. This surface 9 rection of the arrow in Fig. 1, the teeth of the 15 furnishes a very effectual element to jourdriving member will exert at their sides 14 a nal in the hearing, which, preferably, largely direct thrust upon those of the other member surrounds the joint and renders lateral diswith no relative movement, but that when placement impossible, and also by virtue of embracing or overhanging the outer sides of each head holds them against longitudinal separation, while in no wise interfering with the freedom of angular movement. Moreover, the bearing preferably entirely covers the clearance-spaces, and thus prevents the entrance of dirt from outside.

To maintain the coupling members in proper relation with each other and with the surrounding bearing, a preferably loose intermediate spacing and thrust member is provided, here shown as a ball 18, conveniently fitting depressions in receivers or cups 19, located in recesses in the ends of the heads and having stems 20 extending into bores 21 therein. The center of this ball should lie at the center of symmetry of the system, and it is clear that it will not only serve to receive the thrust of the members toward each other, but will also hold their outer surfaces in close contact with the hearing and the ends of the members properly separated without impairing the freedom of rotation or angular play. To allow for this angularity in addition to the tooth-clearance at 16, the opposite faces of the cups are cut away or relieved at 22, conveniently upon radial lines,

to furnish a clearance-space, and the inner side of the teeth are beveled at 23 for the same purpose.

It will be seen that this joint will give universal movement of the connected members smoothly and noiselessly without the possibility of the parts springing, that its form is such as to largely exclude dirt, and that this, with the reduction of sliding contact, minimizes wear.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A universal joint comprising two coupling members having at their adjacent ends cooperating projections and recesses at the center of the projections, a separable cup seated in each recess, and a ball coacting with the cups.

2. A universal joint comprising two coupling members having at their adjacent ends cooperating projections, recesses at the center of the projections and axial bores extending from the recesses, a cup seated in each recess and being provided with a stem extending into the bore, and a ball coacting with the cups.

3. A universal joint comprising two coupling members having at their adjacent ends cooperating projections and recesses at the center of the projections, a separable cup seated in each recess, there being a clearancespace provided between the inner faces of the projections and the adjacent faces of the cups, and a ball coacting with the cups.

4. A universal joint comprising coupling members provided at their ends with intermeshing projections having their sides possessing the contour of a tooth curve in which the normals at the pitch-point are arranged in a continuous progressive manner.

Signed at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, this 31st day of Witnesses:

FRED Y. FRENCH, Jr., FRANCIS O. HERSEY, Jr. 

